Lahore (TIP): Pakistan’s Punjab government has changed the 97-year-old law by setting 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for girls and declaring underage marriage a non-bailable offence.
Previously, the minimum legal age for marriage in Punjab, a province of 130 million people, was 16 years for girls under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929.
The Maryam Nawaz government of Punjab introduced the “Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026” in the Punjab Assembly, which was adopted this week.
According to the new law, marriage below the age of 18 for both males and females is a non-bailable and cognisable offence. Adults marrying a female child (under 18) will face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to PKR 500,000.
“Parents or guardians who facilitate, promote, or fail to prevent child marriage face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fines up to PKR 500,000. Nikah Registrars (Marriage registrars) who facilitate or register such marriages face up to one year in prison and a fine of PKR100,000,” according to the law.
The law further says cohabitation resulting from child marriage is classified as child abuse, carrying up to years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of PKR 1 million.
South Asia
7 die in Nepal landslides; 4 of family buried alive in Bajhang district
Kathmandu (TIP): Seven persons were killed in separate incidents of landslides that were triggered by incessant rain in the western part of Nepal in the last 24 hours, police said on August 20. Four members […]
South Asia
‘Let’s sit down and talk’: Pak PM to Imran
Islamabad (TIP): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on June 26 extended an olive branch to his predecessor and political rival Imran Khan, offering to hold talks with him if was facing “troubles” in jail. “If […]
South Asia
Heavy rains kill at least 35 in eastern Afghanistan: official
KABUL (TIP): At least 35 people were killed and 230 injured on July 17 after heavy rain in eastern Afghanistan, a local official said. “On Monday evening, rain caused by thunderstorms killed 35 people and […]
I like what you guys are up also. Such intelligent work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my site :).
I’ve recently started a web site, the information you provide on this website has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work. “So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.” by William Shakespeare.
I’m no longer positive the place you are getting your info, but great topic. I must spend a while learning more or figuring out more. Thank you for fantastic information I used to be searching for this information for my mission.
I will right away grab your rss feed as I can not find your email subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me realize so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
Hello there! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics? Thanks!